Love like this
by aonalion
Summary: For once, Kaiba actually needs help with something. Otogi will of course help him, but help always comes with a price. Oneshot, Kaiba x Otogi


**A/N:** I'm counting this as my Valentine's Day fic, but I'm uploading it now to avoid the flood that will occur on Tuesday! :D

*sneaky bastard*

* * *

><p>"Otogi. I need your help."<p>

The dice-master looked up and saw, to his surprise, Kaiba standing there next to his table. His face was more or less neutral; his body language confident as always. Otogi simply looked at him for a moment – Kaiba admitting that he needed help was definitely not part of the ordinary.

"With what?" Otogi finally asked, smirking slightly. If Kaiba needed help with something he would get it of course, but it came with a price. The brunet was quiet for a moment before replying, and Otogi didn't know if he did it on purpose or not, but during that moment the last few students left the classroom for the day.

"Love," Kaiba said, his voice completely monotone.

Otogi stared. And stared some more.

Eventually, the brunet obviously got tired of waiting, crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow.

"Well?" he inquired. It still took a moment for Otogi to regain his composure, but then he couldn't help but smile ever so slightly.

"What do you mean?" he asked. He had to admit he was confused, albeit curious. Kaiba had never shown any indications of caring about love and relationships at all, but the dice-master just realized that might've been because he knew nothing about it. Growing up with Gozaburo, Kaiba had spent most of his time studying, not allowed to play like a normal child. When he got older he had his company instead of friends to occupy him after school, so really, it wasn't that strange. Though it was rather sad. "… Is there someone you like and you want their attention?" Otogi wondered. He had quickly decided that if Kaiba needed help with relationships he'd give it, no teasing or mocking.

Okay, maybe just a little teasing. No mocking.

"… Something like that." For once, Kaiba wasn't meeting his eyes. The almost shy gesture was so unlike everything Otogi had seen from the brunet so far, and he couldn't help but simply watch him in wonder for a moment. Then he smiled.

"Well, sure I'll help you. I'd love to." He stood up and grabbed his bag, swinging it over his shoulder. "Where do we begin?"

"At the start?" Kaiba said, one eyebrow raised. Otogi, who had been on his way out of the classroom, stopped and turned half-way around, watching the brunet with a raised eyebrow of his own.

"Okay, first of all; you have no right to be snide right now. Secondly – the first impression might not be the most important part, but it's definitely still important." He continued explaining as he went down the empty hallway, trusting Kaiba not only to follow but to listen as well. "If you know the other person likes you, there's no stopping you from simply walking up to them and asking them out. The other person will most likely be impressed that you have the courage to do that.

If you don't know whether the person likes you or not, it becomes a little more difficult. You can still try the direct approach, but the risk is that they say no and you make a fool out of yourself. Doing that can really damage your self-confidence. Instead, you should try to give hints; it can be simple things like simply spending more time with them or you can send them roses and/or chocolate. Eventually, the other person will understand that you're interested in them, and if you've spent enough time with them they will probably like you and be interested in you as well."

Otogi suddenly became aware of the fact that Kaiba was looking at him as if he was crazy.

"What? You said you wanted help, I never said it would be easy!" Otogi said, shoving the doors open and stepping outside. Kaiba opened his mouth to say something, but the dice-master was faster. "Love is hard work. I figured you'd know all about hard work, so I want no complaining from your part."

The sun was setting, bathing everything in an orange and pink light. Soft clouds drifted by in the sky and the school grounds were already completely deserted, leaving the entire area empty and silent. Otogi took one look at the scenery and immediately calmed down.

"Are you following so far?" he asked the brunet.

"Yes," Kaiba said with a single nod. He still looked slightly… confused, in the lack of a better term. Otogi doubted the brunet could ever look _truly_ confused, and this was probably as close as he could get. He couldn't help but smile at Kaiba's concentrated expression.

"Good. Now, you'll have to figure out what the other person would like as a gift," Otogi said and continued walking. He could see Kaiba's limousine waiting for him, but he would force the brunet to walk for once. Otogi always walked home to his apartment, seeing as it really wasn't far from there and the weather was mostly fine. He half expected to hear a complaint from Kaiba, but the brunet remained silent.

"Giving them flowers is pretty idiotic if they're allergic and giving them chocolate is pretty idiotic if they're on a diet." He caught a glimpse of a raised eyebrow from Kaiba's direction and nodded once. "Girls. Anyway, if you have a common friend or if they have friends you feel you can trust, you can ask them what the person likes. If you don't want to do that, you'll have to stalk them a little. But everything is fair in love and war."

"Have you ever?" Kaiba asked, and it wasn't without a hint of a smile.

"As a matter of fact I have," Otogi replied, making sure Kaiba got it was something he felt neither pride nor shame about. "It may sound cheesy, but everything really is fair in love and war. If someone stalked me I'd be glad someone liked me enough to do that."

He could tell Kaiba really was smirking now, but decided to ignore it and continued his explanation.

"Usually, red roses and a box of chocolate are never wrong. If anything, the person will appreciate it simply because they are such well-known icons of love. If you know your crush's interests, you can be more specific. Rare Duel Monster cards, for example," Otogi said and shot a glance at Kaiba. The brunet seemed amused, much to the dice-master's own amusement.

"Once you've courted someone enough and you're sure they like you, you can go ahead and ask them out. The direct approach is usually the best, but you can send them a letter as well. One of my personal favorites is sending them a small note telling them to meet me somewhere later on, and then asking them out once we're there. This gives you the opportunity to ask them directly, but without the annoyance of their friends being nearby – if your crush says no, it will at least stay between you and them, and it won't be spread out amongst everyone you know."

Otogi slowed down and eventually stopped walking. They were already at the entrance to his apartment building, the huge house blocking the sun and casting an enormous shadow over the both of them.

"Have you learnt anything?" Otogi wanted to know. Kaiba nodded once, but then seemed to realize Otogi wanted more than that.

"Approaching someone directly is considered 'courageous', but involves the risk of failure and humiliation. Giving someone gifts is best if you know exactly what he wants, but trying to find out what that is can be risky since people obviously have trouble keeping quiet about things like that. And apparently everything is fair in love and war."

Otogi smiled and nodded.

"Exactly. I may sound easy enough in theory, but it's a bit more difficult in real life."

"… Thank you," Kaiba said after a moment's pause. Otogi's smiled turned into a smirk.

"You seriously don't think we're done, do you? There is much more to love than that, Kaiba." Otogi crossed his arms and smiled at the frown of annoyance sweeping over the brunet's face. "You'll figure it out eventually. In the meantime, I'd be glad to help you some more."

"I suppose…" Kaiba said, as if he wasn't too keen on admitting he still needed help.

"Don't worry. I'll help you," Otogi said softly, wiping off the rather smug smirk and replacing it with a sincere smile. Kaiba raised an eyebrow at him, but then a smile somehow made its way onto his face, and he nodded once.

"I'll look forward to it." Without saying anything else, he turned around and started walking, even though Otogi could see his limousine just turning around the corner further up the road. However, the dice-master simply stood there and watched him for a moment, before closing his eyes and smiling slightly, turning around and going inside.

_Kaiba had said 'he'._

* * *

><p>Otogi figured he wouldn't be able to be alone with the brunet while in school, and the short walk between it and his apartment definitely wasn't enough for a proper conversation, and had asked him out for dinner. Kaiba had definitely seemed surprised, but he had still said yes.<p>

Needless to say, they had gone to one of the best restaurants in town, but that also meant it was one of the most discreet places. No media, no cameras, no questions asked. Otogi and Kaiba had been given a table near the back, almost hidden behind a large plant, and the dice-master had to admit he definitely liked being there with Kaiba. It was a quiet, calm place, and he felt like he could be himself around the brunet.

"The first impression might not be as important as you'd think, but the first few dates definitely are," Otogi said and took a sip of his wine, studying the red liquid in the dim light. "If your crush likes the first date, they are more likely to agree to a second one. If they like the second one, they will go on a third, and so on. If your date doesn't like, say, your eight date while all the previous ones have been nice, there is still a high chance they will say yes to another one. But if the _first_ date is a catastrophe, they will most likely not agree to a second one."

"Because they have no proof it will be any better. I see," Kaiba said with a hint of a smile. Otogi gladly returned it, and nodded once.

"Precisely. Now, _where_ you take your date is of course a rather large factor as well. The first date usually, and preferably, involves going to the movies. You get to spend time with your crush but you're not forced to speak with them. It is also a chance to find a common interest, if you don't already have one, and pick a movie you both like. If all else fail, you can always watch a comedy.

The carnival is also a very good place for a first or second date. There are a lot of activities and distractions, so the chances of awkward silences are at a minimum," Otogi continued. Then he saw the look on Kaiba's face. "What? Awkward silences are a very annoying problem! They have ruined many relationships!" He coughed slightly, while Kaiba seemed to do his best to hide his smile. "The carnival usually brings back pleasant childhood memories; you can always win something for your date, ride the Ferris wheel and watch the view. Carnivals often have fireworks, which are always pleasant to watch.

Once you get past the difficult first few dates you can take your crush to a nice restaurant, where you can speak more freely and you can get to know one another better. You have to be careful of how you behave with your date in public, though." Kaiba raised an inquiring eyebrow, and Otogi explained. "See those two over there?" he asked, discreetly pointing over to a couple sitting near the entrance of the restaurant. She was giggling, speaking with an extremely high-pitched and excited voice, while he was whispering into her ear and constantly reaching in under the table, most likely searching for her bare legs. People at the tables around them shot degrading glances in their direction, with reason.

Kaiba wrinkled his nose, which Otogi noticed.

"Exactly. The problem is no couple thinks they look as ridiculous as _that_, but they do. You have to be a bit more discreet, which is often more pleasant for the both of you." Otogi paused for a moment, thinking, and then smirked. "Not that I think you would ever do _that_. If you did, I'd be more than a little worried." Kaiba smirked at him, as if he was pleased Otogi thought that of him.

The dice-master returned the smile and moved around a bit – uncrossing and crossing his legs again. Doing so, his leg accidentally brushed up against Kaiba's. Neither one of them made a move to break the body contact, or the eye contact. Otogi met Kaiba's calm, incredibly blue eyes and felt a warmth fill him from within. He certainly knew what that meant, and couldn't help but smile while unconsciously playing with a lock of hair.

* * *

><p>"Why are we here, exactly?" Kaiba wondered as yet another herd of screaming and laughing children ran by them.<p>

"Practice," Otogi replied with a grin. Practice, and the fact that he had always loved carnivals. He didn't go there often enough, and Kaiba was the perfect excuse to do so. The carnival was definitely his kind of place – lots of games, sweet food and colorful lights. The air was filled with laughter, the scent of cotton candy, popcorn and screams from the different attractions. However, Otogi could understand that Kaiba didn't exactly like it; there were probably too many people in his opinion.

"Now, if I was your date, where would you take me?" Otogi asked, facing Kaiba. The brunet simply stared at him. Opened his mouth, closed it again, stared some more. "… Your date is getting impatient."

"Food?" Kaiba tried.

"Sure, why not. But let's try that again."

"Would you like something to eat?"

"Yes, indeed. I'll have the _Cotoletta alla Milanese_ along with some red wine. Preferably something from 1859. Chop, chop."

Otogi saw Kaiba's eyebrow twitch and fought not to laugh.

"Are you hungry?" the brunet finally asked, his smile rather forced by now. Otogi decided to let it pass and took hold of his arm, leading him to the nearest food stand.

"Yeah, I want cotton candy. A pink one." This time, Kaiba's smile was real, and he gladly paid for a pink cotton candy, which he gave to the dice-master. "Thank you," Otogi said with a sincere smile, but didn't remove his hand from Kaiba's arm as he did his best to eat the cotton candy. The brunet didn't protest, but actually guided him through the crowd.

As a matter of fact, he didn't say anything. Neither did Otogi. And the dice-master couldn't help but absolutely love it. The air was warm, the colorful lights making everything into a pleasant blur, the taste of sweetness lingering on his tongue long after he had finished his cotton candy…

Otogi let out a sigh of contentment and leaned his head against Kaiba's shoulder as they stopped for a moment, standing by the fences; the dark ocean stretching out in front of them and the stars twinkling down at them from above. The brunet tensed up slightly, but Otogi hardly noticed.

"It's amazing how this is so much better than going out with some blabbering girl or another."

"Is my date pleased?" Kaiba asked and Otogi could hear the smile in his voice.

"Yes. Very."

* * *

><p>"… Is there a difference between men and women?"<p>

Otogi blinked and turned his head, meeting Kaiba's blue eyes. Something told him that question had been in the brunet's mind for quite some time before he dared to ask it, and that thought made him smile. He stretched out in the sofa and stared up at the ceiling far above him before answering. The Kaiba mansion was so big; Otogi wasn't sure he liked it. It was a clear mark of status, but the dice-master had to admit he preferred something smaller and more intimate. Nevertheless, he had been pleasantly surprised when Kaiba had invited him over.

"Well, of course. It's rather obvious, isn't it?" He heard an annoyed sigh from the brunet and hurriedly continued. "The biggest difference is how you approach them, I suppose. If you're a girl who likes girls or a guy who likes guys you definitely have to be a bit more careful. Even if homosexuality is generally accepted, there are still quite a few who are against it. And if you're unlucky enough to fall in love with someone like that, well… then you're more or less screwed."

"You can't convince someone?"

Otogi cringed slightly.

"You can _find_ someone's inner bi- or homosexual desires. You can't _turn_ someone bi- or homosexual, much like you can't force a vegetarian to eat meat or a force a dog-lover to get a cat. You simply can't change people like that."

"Hn," was all Kaiba said, but somehow that amused Otogi. The dice-master had thought a lot about Kaiba accidentally saying 'he' and had decided not to question the other's sexuality. Being bi himself, he knew how hard it was, and being completely inexperienced hardly made things better. If anything he could understand if Kaiba was gay – imagining him with a girl just didn't seem right, and Otogi had a feeling Kaiba would most likely simply think girls were too, well… _girly_. Especially when they were in love.

"The thing is… you like people for a reason," Otogi mused. "I like girls because of their feminism – I like the smell of their hair, the curve of their hips, their sense of fashion. And I like men because of their muscles, the feeling of a pair of strong arms around me, and the things I can do with them that I couldn't possibly do with a girl."

He saw from the corner of his eye how Kaiba raised his eyebrow and smirked slightly, and went through what he had just said again. Oh. He could feel his cheeks rapidly grow hot and stared stubbornly at the ceiling.

"You –"

"Shut up," Otogi quickly said, which resulted in Kaiba actually laughing.

* * *

><p>Otogi had commanded Kaiba to sit in the sofa, which he did without any protests, but with a smile that told Otogi the brunet was wondering what he was up to. This time they were in Otogi's stylishly clean apartment, since the dice-master had insisted on it. The main reason was simply because he liked it better, but he also honestly didn't want Mokuba to interrupt anything they were doing.<p>

… Not that he had completely decided what they would do, but he would figure something out if he needed to.

The dice-master himself sat on the backrest of the sofa, to the left of and behind Kaiba. In the background, he could hear the radio, but hardly paid any attention to it. It was always on when he was home. The brunet hadn't complained when Otogi climbed up there, which was a good thing for what he had in mind. Kaiba had only turned his head half-way around, watching Otogi from the corner of his eyes, and the dice-master was looking down on him with a soft smile.

"When you get more comfortable with your crush and you've gone on a few dates together you can invite them to your house. At that point it's rather important that you know your crush fairly well and that you know what they like to do and talk about. A very common mistake is guys only talking about things like football, and girls only talking about fashion or something similar. You need topics both are interested in, at least in the beginning. Hopefully, if you like the person enough, you'll later be able to talk about something that only the other originally liked – but now you're interested in it too, since your crush likes it."

"Mhm?" was all Kaiba said. Otogi couldn't help but get the feeling he was impatient.

"… Do you remember how I said you should be careful of yours and your date's behavior in public?" Otogi said, trying a different approach.

"Yes?"

"Well, when you're at home you can let all those things go. You can do anything you want."

"… Mhm?" Kaiba said once again, but now there was a hint of a smile playing around the corners of his mouth. Otogi felt a smirk tug at his own lips, and continued.

"You still have to be a bit careful, though. Touches and kisses are very different from person to person. What some like others may hate, and the other way around. You never really know when you meet someone new, but experimenting is part of the fun.

For example…" Otogi said and reached out his hand. "Some people like when you touch their hair." Without hesitating or asking for permission, Otogi ran his fingers through Kaiba's silk brown hair. The brunet drew in a startled breath, but then relaxed almost immediately. Otogi could see from his position that Kaiba slowly closed his eyes, and couldn't help but smile. Otogi did it again and again, quite enjoying it himself as well. "Other people are very sensitive around their necks," the dice-master said, his voice low.

He moved his hand down a bit and was pleased as Kaiba bent his neck a little, giving Otogi better access to his soft skin. The dice-master slowly moved his hand over his exposed neck, just barely touching his skin with the tips of his fingers. Kaiba suddenly shuddered and Otogi bit his lip.

"Others like it when you touch their back and shoulders." His voice was barely above a whisper now, and he moved his hand down again, gently stroking the brunet's back in big circles. Then he moved a bit closer and brought up his other hand as well, slowly but surely massaging Kaiba's shoulders.

The brunet let out a low sound that sent a jolt through Otogi's body and straight to his stomach.

Otogi gulped.

Then he suddenly blinked and listened for a moment – he could hear the radio starting to play a very familiar song. A smile made its way onto his face.

"Let dance," he said and jumped down from the backrest. He heard a tiny, surprised gasp from Kaiba, and turned around to face the brunet. He had a faint pink tint to his cheeks, and his mouth was hanging slightly open, and Otogi couldn't help but smirk.

"… What?" Kaiba asked, as a rather delayed response.

"You heard me. We're going to dance."

"_What?_" Kaiba said, putting more force behind his words this time. Otogi snickered and held out his hand for the brunet, and after a moment, Kaiba actually took it and allowed the dice-master to pull him up on his feet. Otogi led him out to an open space in his living room, clear from furniture, and stood opposite to him, still with the brunet's hand in his.

"Dancing is an important part as well. Usually, it gives you can opportunity to be intimate even when you're out in public. But it's also an opportunity to show off as a couple – sometimes you just want everyone to see you and your date, and you want them to see how much you love each other," Otogi said quietly, the feeling of Kaiba's slender fingers intertwining with his own making his heart race. He straightened up slightly, meeting Kaiba's incredibly blue eyes. "Since you're taller I'll let you lead."

"Why thank you," Kaiba said, his voice dry, but Otogi still sensed something more sparkling in his eyes.

"Be a manly man," Otogi said and unabashedly took hold of Kaiba's hand, pulling it around his own waist and pressing their bodies together. Even though it was obvious Kaiba tried to hide it, Otogi still heard a small gasp escape his lips. The dice-master smiled softly at him and placed his hand on the brunet's shoulder, holding his other hand up for Kaiba to take.

Without a single word, both of them started moving. Kaiba did lead, although it was a bit hesitantly and jerky. Otogi did his best to help him, taking over every now and again when the brunet's steps faltered, and smiling encouragingly towards him.

Eventually, the song from the radio died out, and they stopped moving. Otogi only reluctantly backed off a bit, and he could tell Kaiba didn't quite want to let him go as well.

"I… I think that's pretty much it," Otogi said, not quite willing to admit it just yet.

"There is one thing," Kaiba said, making Otogi's heart jump. However, he managed to put on his usual smirk while raising his hands and placing them on Kaiba's chest. He caught hold of the collar of the brunet's coat, discreetly pulling him closer.

"Oh yeah? And what's that?" the dice-master asked, smirking, and looking up to meet Kaiba's eyes. The brunet was looking down at him, his eyes strangely emotional, and he was subtlety leaning in closer.

"I think you know."

"Well…" Otogi whispered against Kaiba's lips. "Kissing is just as differentiating as touching. It also tells you a lot about the person in question. Some people liked being kissed on the forehead…" The dice-master got up on the tip of his toes, put his arms around Kaiba's neck and pressed his lips against the brunet's forehead. He could hear Kaiba's breath catch, but continued. "… some like being kissed on the temples," he pressed his lips against Kaiba's wonderfully soft skin again and again, "the cheeks… the neck… the nose… the –"

But then Kaiba quickly turned his head and crashed their lips together, making Otogi moan in approval. He closed his eyes and simply enjoyed the feeling of Kaiba's lips against his own – the brunet kissing him with a surprising amount of zeal. He had his hands on Otogi's hips, pulling him closer and pressing their warm bodies together; Otogi couldn't help but take a shaky breath whenever he got the chance – he definitely hadn't expected such _passion_.

Kaiba pulled back ever so slightly, and Otogi couldn't help but swallow and take several breaths to calm himself down.

"How long have you known?" Kaiba said, his voice barely above a whisper as he gently rubbed his nose against Otogi's; still not more than inches away from each other.

"A while," the dice-master replied with a slightly smug smile. "You're not very subtle." A frown swept across Kaiba's face, but Otogi's smile widened. "I find it cute."

"'Cute'…" Kaiba muttered, but leaned in closer and kissed him again, much to the dice-master's amusement and approval. "Would you like to go on a date with me, then?"

"The direct approach, I like it," Otogi grinned, but when Kaiba simply raised an eyebrow at him he got a bit more serious. "I'd love to."

"Good," Kaiba simply said and leaned in to claim his lips once more.


End file.
